After Grace

of his cheeks and valley of his eyes but there was nothing. He

ked, not as much a qu

know you were tr

stood and hung the wet jacket on a branch. He pulled a cig

asked, confused

other children who get cu

I

. I stood there in the dark, words and thoughts failing me. I walked back through the skeletal forest, his words rattling between my ears. I

who took care of me when I was a child. I had been passed through the community like an unwelcome house pet, not as much

d. When the anger of his accusations finally settled in my stomach, I realized he was right. The o

lay two others; members of the community who hadn't survived our last move. Dead leaves fell around me as a chilled November wind came ripping through the tops of h

t a name or any semblance of a story for the boy, there was little else he could do. Typically, when we gathered to bury one of own, the

side me matching each step. The chatter usually didn't st

e? He could have led them righ

uple ahead of me and the girls behind all spoke in hushed tones, no one could keep quiet. I listened t

ph said, when he realized I was ju

nized me,

" he

om

g. Before I could wonder why I heard

d the angry hiss of someone whose patience was running ou

y he

h the uneasy crowd until I realized no one was holding me there. I walked around the elders in front of the line

or put both his hands on their shoulders. He spoke too low for us to hear. Mike turned with a sour face to the pastor, as if to ask, are you sure? The pastor nodded and Mike stepped aside. Tom marched into the armory an

off shotgun stuck out from the duffel. People began filtering in as Tom quietly talked to the pastor. Joseph moved c

around me swayed on their feet, each talking over the othe

, " Tom said. "You won't be in danger,

it on the ground. "We're leaving." He took Da

epped in his way. "It isn't safe to leave until

planning? You want us to w

people prisoner. I s

m not going off into a town I don't know to fight for people

d a few tears for a dead boy, but when

astor said. "There's plenty of

camp toward the Southern exit. The forest spread North for miles, South of us there were

oking at me from across camp. A

M

t, nineteen

I said, fee

you s

he's a child, " he said. I wanted to argue the

come, " Tom

re. We can't save everyone Tom.

looked me in the eye. He turned back to Josep

" Joseph i

w what?"

he's a manipulat

d I'm the liar?" he picked up the rifle. "If hiding in the forest is how you al

about? Know what?

you, just not when he lied. I scanned the crowd, their eyes were half watching me and half trying not to. I knew this feeling well, only it h

as I followed Tom. "What don't I know?" I asked

d. I ignored him, my

My heart beat dang

eyes on this thing, help

t shoot, I never l

teac

r spots, all waiting for it to end. None of them willing to take a single step fr

it here and hide all your

without thinki